


What We Couldn't Be, Yet We Are

by PrinceKapitan



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Emilie Agreste Lives, Evil Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Memory Loss, Salty Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Well more like done with your shit, minimal dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:48:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28953717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceKapitan/pseuds/PrinceKapitan
Summary: Marinette decides she's had enough of being Paris' anchor and gives up being Ladybug to pursue her crush on Félix. Lila assumes the role after Marinette simply dumps it on her... with messy results.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Lila Rossi, Chloé Bourgeois & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Félix Graham de Vanily
Comments: 9
Kudos: 123





	What We Couldn't Be, Yet We Are

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Squishysib](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squishysib/gifts).



> Happy Birthday to Sibby, a good friend and the "HBIC" of Miraculous Fanworks. I've only known her a short time, but she's been one of the most amazing and influential people I've ever met.

Félix Graham de Vanily was one such boy Marinette Dupain-Cheng took an interest in. She couldn’t put her finger on what it was she liked about him, nevertheless she decided to pursue the boy. Of course Alya pushed the girl to do it. Classic Alya, always a little too invested in Marinette’s love life for her own good. 

It didn’t matter though, her crush on Adrien faded. Their falling out was ugly and it resulted in Adrien having a mental breakdown and being pulled from school. The collective weight of his life of high expectations were finally brought down by the loss of his biggest admirer. It wasn’t even his father’s decision, the boy chose to do so willingly. Most of the class ended up blaming Chloé for it, because she’s always the go to when something goes wrong. Of course Alya was the first person to suggest it was her fault, like drones they follow Marinette supposed. Not that Chloé cared, her friendship with Adrien had also crumbled, not that there was really anything holding it together.

As the weeks since that event passed Marinette found herself becoming more and more distant from her classmates. Adrien was their anchor and when he left school, things relapsed. Lila ended up dropping out to spend more time with the boy. She probably would’ve intervened… if she still cared. It was his own problem, not Marinette’s to solve. As things began to change, Marinette’s hatred began to grow. Her resentment for wasting her time on Adrien, on Cat Noir, on everyone. They asked her for things and yet she was never given anything in return. She was only useful when they needed something.

One day she approached Lila’s apartment with a box in hand. If she wanted to be the big hero, she was going to get that wish. Let her completely fold under the pressure, let her know what it feels like to have the weight of the world she claims to save on her shoulders. Against Tikki’s protest the pigtailed girl removed her earrings. “Tikki, I renounce you,” she uttered, placing them in the box.

She left, not even looking back at the box. Ever since those things came into her life it’s caused her nothing but misery. She thought back to Fu, for once she felt she could thank Chloé. Had it not been for her, Fu would’ve still been her master. Part of her wanted to kill Fu, make him suffer the way he did to her. That part of her knew he deserved it. But then again, she knew he’d likely be dead soon anyway. She knew that she was wasting her time hating the old man. So alas she pushed it all out.

Naturally, once Lila discovered what she was wielding she used it for her own selfish gain. The entire Miracle Box… in her possession. However it was clear her and Tikki were not in sync, the little red kwami sensed an imbalance between them. Lila could not use her powers effectively, as she treated Tikki terribly. During an akuma battle, both Ladybug and Cat Noir were defeated and their Miraculouses were taken. 

Of course Adrien never noticed the switch, how could he? Marinette had renounced Tikki willingly, thus passing on her magic to Lila. It didn’t matter, Lila’s incompetence as the spotted heroine resulted in their defeat. Her reputation ended up in shambles, the town saw her as a wannabe. Hawk Moth ended up enslaving Paris, having grown to love the power he was given. Upon finding out Lila was Ladybug, he paid her a visit, rounded up all the Miraculous and kept them.

Sadly the supervillain’s wish came with a cost. Emilie did not remember who she was, nor did she remember who Gabriel or Adrien were. She had, however, managed to see how much of a monster the man was, so she took the boy from his custody. Gabriel pondered stopping the woman, but then again perhaps this was the best he could do to atone for his sins. Adrien missed his mother, and she would listen to him, so the two started anew. The boy taught his mother how things worked.

Adrien however ironically ended up receiving more freedom in his life. With Paris in his control, Gabriel would not have to worry about putting his son in any inherent danger. But was it worth it? The entirety of Paris ended up gloomy. Adrien would often be asked about his time being Cat Noir. He enjoyed the attention, and made a complete spectacle of it. The perfect boy and that mangy alley cat became one in the same with his newfound permission to leave the house. Alya approached Marinette about it.

“Geez girl, who knew Hawk Moth would actually beat Ladybug right? And who knew she was actually Lila, hell who knew Adrien was Cat Noir.”

Marinette listened to her friend prattle on about it. She remembered her time as the spotted superhero, and rejoiced in leaving that life behind. The best part was she felt no remorse, looking upon Paris being under slavery she enjoyed it. She welcomed it.

“Alya, why don’t you go bug someone else? Take your little suckfest stories and invest in the tabloids.”

Marinette left Alya, the reporter was confused. Was it something she said?

Once she approached Félix, she tapped his shoulder and introduced herself properly. That old sweet side she used to have surfaced only for him. With the baggage of both the lie of her life and the friends she didn’t need gone, she was able to ask him out. Their dates were pleasant enough, both of them shared an admiration for the darkness.

Lila on the other hand was not so lucky, while she finally managed to win the Agreste boy over, she discovered that he was not the charming boy she thought he was. He turned out to be obnoxious, flakey, and he would often ignore her to fuel his own ego by asking other girls out. Served her right, Marinette thought. It was only fair that Lila reap the repercussions of the image she thought Adrien was. Just seeing Lila suffer, no seeing her beg for a way out. It satisfied her.

Eventually, Félix ended up declaring he loved Marinette. He wanted to marry her, but once he got to his knee he did not offer a ring. He instead got up off his knee, he held her hands and kissed her.

“We don’t need marriage to love one another, look at this!” He cackled. “This is beautiful! What can some ring give us that Ladybug’s defeat hasn’t?”

Marinette was happy, legitimately happy for the first time in her life. “You know me all too well, Félix.”

And so it went, the two ended up together. Officially. Both of them visited Chloé, who was all ready to go to New York. 

“What are you two doing here?” She asked the couple.

“We want in on your little fashion industry.”

“Why should I do that?” She huffed.

“My mother can back your funding, and keep yours in check if she tries to dump you.” He presented the contract.

“What makes you think I would even consider signing this?” Chloé hissed.

“Wanna take bets on your mom keeping you until you’ve outlived your usefulness?” Marinette snarked. After some careful consideration she had her mom meet Félix’s. The two signed their contract and shook hands. The deal was complete.

Within the next week the three children, Audrey and Amelie, left for New York. They left Paris in the darkness it deserved to rot in. Marinette didn’t even wish her parents a goodbye, she figured let them learn the truth. They hardly ever paid attention to her anyway, otherwise they would’ve known she was Ladybug.

“Parents huh?” Chloé asked. Marinette smiled at Chloé menacingly.

“Do you really think Audrey’s going to last in this company? We’ll get much more mileage than that old cow, we just gotta get her out of the picture.”

“What do you mean? It’s under her name, not mine.”

“Still a rookie huh, Chloé? Good thing your mom never bothers to read.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a contract, we remove your mom from the picture and you get full royalties.”

Chloé hesitated, seeing Marinette fall this far sent shivers down her spine, had she pushed her to this? Did the pigtailed girl finally snap? Félix cleared his throat as the Bourgeois was lost in thought.

She gazed upon the boy, realizing he was the cause of Marinette’s fall. Chloé pondered in thought, but realizing the power she had, she ultimately cooperated.

Three weeks later, Audrey mysteriously died. She had been served a poison wine bottle sent allegedly by her husband. No one suspected anything out of the ordinary. A new deal was offered, Chloé would grant half the earnings to Marinette and Félix in exchange for keeping the company. It was a simple deal, should Chloé not follow through, the two would have evidence that she was the one who sent the tainted wine.

“Trust me, we’re doing you a favor,” Marinette whispered in the blonde’s ear. Probably the one heroic thing she had done since abandoning that life.

The blonde girl accepted, living under fear of what the two would do. Marinette rubbed Félix’s temple with her index fingers.

“You were right my prince, this was perfect.”

She pondered strangling the boy, but having grown fond of his nature, she stayed her hands and instead hugged him, having fully accepted that she had fallen. Was abandoning the way of the hero the right choice for Marinette? In her mind it was, it was a choice she felt she should have made long ago. 

The boy, not realizing what the girl was doing, looked back. He kissed the girl on the lips, believing he made the right decision.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow the [Miraculous Fanworks Discord](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) to see us working hard (or hardly working) on fics, pics and other fanworks.


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